Julienning

Julienning is a method of food preparation in which the food item is cut into long thin strips. Common items to be julienned are carrots for "carrots Julienne", potatoes for french fries, or celery for "Céléris Remoulade".

With a sharp knife the raw vegetable is sliced on four sides to create a thick rectangular stick, then cut lengthwise into approximately 3 mm (1/8 inch) slices. Stacking these slices and again cutting lengthwise into strips creates thin uniform square sticks. "Julienne" usually applies to vegetables prepared in this way but it can also be applied to the preparation of meat or fish, especially in stir fry techniques.

Once julienned, turning the subject 90 degrees and dicing finely will produce brunoise.

The first known use of the term in print is in François Massialot's "Le Cuisinier Royal" (1722 edition). The origin of the term is uncertain, but may derive from the proper name Jules or Julien.

In American culture, a popular phrase for saying that a gadget can do many things is "It slices! It dices! It makes Julienne fries!" This phrase is a parody of Ron Popeil's (Ronco) advertisements for the Veg-o-Matic kitchen tool. Its specific origins are not known, but it may have been popularized by the TV Show Mork and Mindy, in which Robin Williams (as Mork) says a similar line.